by Andrew Loh
photo credits: ST
In a report on Saturday, 26 February, the Straits Times reported on the potential new candidates who may be fielded by the People’s Action Party (PAP).
The report said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Mr Lim Boon Heng, was “accompanied by two young grassroots leaders who have been tipped as potential candidates” during an upgrading polling exercise in Mr Lim’s Jurong Central ward.
The two are “Mr Alex Yam, 29, a principal executive at the NTUC youth development unit, and Mr Desmond Lee, 34, a deputy director at the Law Ministry.”
It is interesting to note that Mr Lee is apparently a civil servant at the Ministry of Law presently.
The question which arises is: should civil servants be involved in a political party and participate in its activities?
As the Straits Times report says, Mr Lee is “tipped” to be a candidate for the PAP in the upcoming General Election.
One may feel that there is nothing wrong, given that the PAP has over the years recruited its candidates from the civil service.
That may be true except that the civil service has declared itself to be politically neutral.
On the Public Service Division’s website, it says:
The Civil Service works under a Code of Conduct based on the principles of incorruptibility, integrity and propriety. Civil servants are expected to conduct themselves with impartiality and honesty at all times, by:
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It is a point reiterated by Deputy Principal Senior State Counsel from the Attorney-General’s Chambers, Owi Beng Ki. In 2009, at a forum organised by the People’s Association Youth Movement, she said “civil servants serve the president”.
She went on to explain and emphasise the importance of this:
“Civil servants under the constitution hold their allegiance to the president. The symbolism that is attached to that is we actually serve at the pleasure of a politically neutral institution. It is one of the values of the civil service that we are politically impartial.”
See Channel Newsasia’s report here.
What then should one make of Mr Lee’s involvement with the PAP, a political party, considering that he still is a civil servant with the Ministry of Law?
Perhaps the proper thing for Mr Lee, and all civil servants who have intentions to participate in politics, is to first resign from the civil service before becoming involved in “political matters”.
As the civil service itself has stressed, civil servants are expected to conduct themselves with impartiality and honesty. And I may add, they must also be seen to be doing so.
Any derogation of this will indeed subvert the very values the civil service holds dear.
The Public Service Division should explain to the public its stand on the matter so that there is clarity – and that the civil service is not and has not become a partisan political player.
Read also: High-level Ministry departures a sign of impending election?
The author has written to the Public Service Division for its views on the matter.
Public Service Division’s website:
Channel News Asia’s report:
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RED-man
Hehe,
So, why bother even go thru’ the trouble of cut and paste with a reply? Aren’t you already given him your attention? If his reply is stupid, your action is probably idiotic.
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ok lah, so you are both idotic and stupid lah.
Black-man (aka Hehe)
Thanks for once again proven you are the latter. A coward like the PAP who avoid a gentleman debate but resort to name calling.
RED-man, whatever lah, as long as u think u are happy. dt waste the time of forummes here if u got nothing intelligent to post!
Hehe
So you have come out from your cloak of Black-man? On contrary, I find my time very much well spent to mock at idiot like you who spelt idiotic as “idotic”.
I guess its pretty touch to be apolitical when your boss is a PAP minister.